1. Tournage is Turning Me into a Frustrated Boy
Tournage is another variation of cutting and shaping vegetables, taillage. The word tournage is derived from a French word that means to turn. So, we're "turning" vegetables or cutting them into oval, egg-like shapes. The vegetable is supposed to have seven sides and two blunt ends. When done right, they actually look really pretty. The way you hold a paring knife with your right hand and how you position your fingers while holding a potato piece in your left hand, as an example, seems awkward and dangerous. Also there needs to be a certain finesse in your hand movements while turning. So, you need to practice, over and over again. Then some more.
2. Stockmaking is Easy as A, B, C.
Well, maybe not easy. But it is fundamental, like A, B, C or 1, 2, 3. What is a stock? It's a flavored and aromatic liquid made with bones, vegetable mirepoix, and bouquet garni. Apparently broths are different from stocks in that actual meat is used along with the bones. If the bones are roasted, you'll get a brown stock. If you use blanched bones or bones as they are, you'll get a white stock. A variation of white stock is a marmite, where burnt onions, or oignon brulé, are used with blanched beef bones, to give you an amber colored stock. Like the slight definition shift between a broth and a stock, there is a subtle difference between a fish stock and a fish fumet. From what I gather, fumet is fortified with wine and a bit more vegetable trimmings.
3. You Complement Me, Sauces!
Our course lists these five sauces as mother sauces (basic or leading sauces): BETH V., where B: Béchamel; E: Espagnole; T: Tomate; H: Hollandaise; and V: Velouté. From these sauces you can make a whole lot of derivative sauces. A WHOLE LOT! Of course, the use of a binding element is important in transforming a stock into a sauce. Seriously, if you don't use one, you're just left with a thin, loose liquid. You'll definitely ROUX the day.
4. You Want to Work Out Your Guns?
You don't need dumbbells. All you need is a sabayon, oil, and a balloon whisk. The principle of emulsions and emulsified sauces is like you're trying to bring peace to the Middle East. You're getting two substances that don't like each other, like water/vinegar and oil, to join forces to give you a tasty, but fattening, delight. Only thing the Middle East peace process lacks is an emulsifier, an egg yolk, to help bind these two liquids. Sabayon, by the way, is a whisked form of egg yolk and a hydrophilic liquid, like water, a flavored gastrique, or alcohol.
5. Did the Previous Lesson Trouble Your Tummy?
Then why not soothe it with soups and consommés? Hmm, what did I learn? There are two types of soups: Clear and Bound. Oh, making consommés is an art. When the raft doesn't work well to help clarify the beautiful marmite we made, then what's the point?! Arghhhh.
6. The Art of Playing with Salt
We've had a history lesson in food preservation. We watched a couple of demos: curing a salmon for a gravlax and making codfish fritters. We worked as a class to trim and cure a whole lot of duck legs to confit. I so want to taste the confit. I wonder if we'll get to confit the duck legs... I think pickling vegetables is so much fun! It's so easy and I think I can do a whole lot of yum things pickling. I've never had a preserved lemon, but we started the process. Hopefully in 4 to 6 weeks, I'll get to try one. And I wasn't too impressed with Brandade. It was tasty, but to be honest, it didn't excite my palate. Seriously, it's just salted cod, boiled potatoes, a lot of oil, and cream mixed/mashed together to form an oatmeal-like glob. But I'm open to it. One day perhaps, brandade may be in my menu.
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